"The Royal Inauguration" (Matthew 21:1-11)

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“And when [Jesus] entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, ‘Who is this?’ And the crowds said, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee” (Matthew 21:10-11).

 

Today, we begin a new Church Year, and the purpose of every Church Year is to put Jesus before our eyes.

 

To the world, most of their minds – maybe even yours – is on Christmas. Most of the world is thinking about Christmas decorating and shopping for loved ones. Radio stations began playing pop Christmas songs on November 1. And for so many of us, when you think about Jesus this time of year, we often think of Jesus as the babe in the manger.

 

But here we are on this First Sunday in Advent, and we hear about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. What’s up with that? Again, the purpose as we begin each Church Year is that we do not lose sight on what truly matters: Jesus Christ and Him crucified and risen for sinners.

 

It always does seem odd though to begin the Church Year at practically the end. But this is why Jesus came in the first place. He came to bring atonement between God and man.

 

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Magi came from the east to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). This question greatly disturbed King Herod. He was troubled. This troubled Herod because he was obviously nearing the end of his time and was not sure who would succeed him. And there was no doubt that Herod’s violent and bloody reign had demonstrated how determined he was to maintain his grip on power – even though his power was severely limited being under Roman rule.

 

So when Herod’s fear was aroused, all of Jerusalem was disturbed right along with him.

 

Now, some thirty-plus years have passed between that first Christmas Day and Palm Sunday, and during that interval St. Matthew does not record a single time Jesus was called a king. He was called many other titles. Jesus was called “Son of David,” and that messianic title certainly does come with royal overtones, but it was not until that Palm Sunday that Jesus was proclaimed to be a king. According to St. Luke, the crowds roared: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38a). And according to St. John, the crowds cheered: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:13). And once again, some thirty-some years after His birth, “the whole city was stirred up” again (Matthew 21:10).

 

They ask, “Who is this Jesus?” “Where has this Jesus come from?”

 

Back when Jesus was 12 years old, He famously went up to Jerusalem with His mother Mary and His guardian Joseph to celebrate the Feast of the Passover (Luke 2:41-52). When the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. After searching for Him, they returned to Jerusalem and after three days, they found Him in the temple. 

 

Now, traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover was something pious Jews did every year. So, we can assume that Jesus made many trips to Jerusalem to observe the Passover. But this time would be different. Very different. For this occasion, Jesus was very much aware that He was going up to Jerusalem to die. And He taught this fact to His very own apostles that He would be handed over to the chief priests and later condemned to death, but on that third day would rise again.

 

As Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover for the last time, He wanted the attention of all the people of Jerusalem to be focused solely on Him. This is why He made some rather peculiar preparations before entering the city.

 

“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once” (Matthew 21:1-3).

 

This would be a strange way for Jesus to be acknowledged as the King of Israel. Through the Prophet Zechariah, God calls the coming King “humble” (Zechariah 9:9). 

Normally, powerful people are not humble. Normally, powerful people are far from being called “humble.” Normally, powerful people are aware of how important they are, and they expect others to be duly impressed by and deferential to them. They can be harsh and abrasive, because they havepower. Normally, to be humble or gentle is seen as a sign of powerlessness. Not so with Jesus.

 

Jesus enters Jerusalem upon an ordinary lowly beast of burden rather than a magnificent white stallion, as other kings would have done. Jesus did not wear a kingly robe or royal crown. There was no scepter in His hand. His attendants were mostly Galilean fishermen. His procession looked far from a royal procession, yet there was an obvious and undeniable majesty about Him. This Jesus was powerful, but not in the way of the world (1 Corinthians 1:25).

 

This humility of Jesus is the theme from the manger all the way to the cross. It is a weakness according to the world, but it is powerful because God works salvation in it. Salvation is not accomplished by external force or by gaining earthly power. Jesus’ humility is not a sign of powerlessness, but of a refusal to rule by force or coercion, and of His willingness to die for us.

 

Again, Jesus’ procession into Jerusalem didn’t look like a royal procession, but the multitudes were moved to shout: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9).

 

According to earthly standards, Jesus was far from being a king. He rode into town on a donkey. That’s a far cry from any royal steed. But Jesus is the King. 

 

Because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, His mission has often been misunderstood. Herod feared Jesus as competition. Jesus was handed over to Pilate because He was declared a challenge to Caesar. But Jesus has not come to overthrow earthly rulers, nor to establish any earthly kingdom.

 

Jesus rules only by Word and Spirit, not by any external force. Jesus rules by calling and enlightening His disciples. He gives faith and a change of heart, so that we cling to Him as King. We didn’t choose Him as King, He chose us and made us His people.

 

Jesus is the mighty King. He is more powerful than all the great kings of all times. He is more powerful than all the world leaders of our own day.

 

Only He, by His cross, has the power to save from sin. Only He has the power to grant eternal life. Only He has the power to make enemies of God into children of God. Only He has the power to transform us so that we live godly lives.

 

Certainly, the manner by which Jesus entered Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday showed that He had no intentions of setting Himself up as an earthly king. The throne He would ascend would not be a fancy seat, but His throne to which He would ascend would be Him nailed to a crude wooden cross. The crown He would wear would not be adorned with jewels but would be a crown of thorns piercing His forehead.

 

Yet, Jesus would establish His Kingdom, but not by the traditional way by shedding the blood of his enemies, but by shedding His own holy precious blood. Through His humility, through His innocent suffering and death, Jesus would establish a Kingdom of greater glory and greater majesty than any earthly kingdom before or since. He gave all who trust in Him His Kingdom.

 

Today’s Gospel reading contain some very familiar words that we sing each Sunday: “Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.” These familiar words of the Sanctus remind us that the same Jesus who rode up into Jerusalem on a donkey comes to us under the bread and wine of the Sacrament of the Altar. On our own, we would never guess that we are receiving Christ’s very Body and His very Blood in this Sacrament, but Jesus says, “This is My Body. … This is My Blood.” Through the eyes of faith, we see so much more than just simple bread and simple wine, because our ears have heard what Jesus said.

 

We sing the Sanctus as we praise Christ knowing who He is, the promised Savior. We praise Christ, who feeds us with His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of our sins, praising Him for who He is, our Savior, and for what He richly does, forgives our sins.

 

The crowds on that Palm Sunday may not have seen the significance of their own words, but we on this First Sunday in Advent do. He came to inaugurate His royal kingdom. Jesus has come to be our King. He has come to bring reconciliation between God and man. He is Here today hidden in His Means of Grace. And He will one day truly reveal Himself again on the Last Day! Christ is King. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Thanks Be to God!" (Luke 17:11-19)

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“On the way to Jerusalem [Jesus] was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us’” (Luke 17:11-13).

 

On this eve of the National Day of Thanksgiving, we can see the gravity of the situation. Leprosy was bad; it was really bad. Leprosy wasn’t something that could be cured by any over-the counter or behind-the-counter drug. Leprosy couldn’t be cured by bedrest. 

 

As leprosy would progress, it attacks the skin, peripheral nerves and the mucus membrane. Pain would turn to numbness. The skin would lose its original color and become thick, glossy and scaly. Sores and ulcers would develop. The face could swell to look more like a lion than a man. The voice would become hoarse and grating. If you had the signs of leprosy, and were declared “unclean” by the priests, you could no longer live in your community, you were basically outcasts from polite society, left homeless without the support of family or friends. A leper was an outcast.

 

If there was anything positive, contrary to popular belief, leprosy was not a flesh-eating disease. However, due to the loss of feeling – especially in the hands and feet – people with leprosy could wear away their extremities and faces unknowingly. This horrible disfigurement caused by leprosy made this disease greatly feared.

 

It was so feared that it was the traditional Jewish belief that leprosy was God’s judgment for sin. A leper was considered cursed by God.

 

So, here, on this eve of the National Day of Thanksgiving, we learn of a lonely group of outcasts, ten men who would normally not be together, except for leprosy, standing at a distance, desperate to be once again included in polite society. These men lifted up their voices, or what was left of their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13).

 

They had heard the news about Jesus. Could it all be true? Could Jesus heal them? They saw Jesus as their last chance for deliverance. Mustering all they had left, these ten men begged Jesus to heal them.

 

Across a distance, Jesus heard their cry for mercy. He spoke to them saying, “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14).

 

Clearly, Jesus did not immediately heal these men, but He commanded them to show themselves to the priests. But why didn’t Jesus heal them all instantly? He had done that in the past and He would do that in the future. But why not in this instance? 

 

It is likely that Jesus was testing the faith of these ten leprous men in His ability to heal them in His time. And Jesus’ command would be an affirmation of the validity of the Law of God. For, by obeying, these men were demonstrating faith and fulfilling their obligation as the Law required. The priests who would receive these men would function as the local health inspectors, and this was an elaborate process, lasting for eight days and involving various examinations, sacrifices and rituals, to determine whether a person was free from leprosy (Leviticus 14:1-32).

 

What’s ironic about this requirement is that these very priests who rejected Jesus would have to validate the undeniable fact that the lepers had been healed. They would be forced to confirm His supernatural power and thus become reluctant witnesses to His deity.

 

Up to this point, these ten leprous men are acting in unison. They all pled for Jesus to heal them; they had all obeyed His command and started their way to the priests. As they walked, they began noticing changes, positive changes. They were healed.

 

I’m sure they were all astonished. They were amazed! I’m sure they were full of joy! I’m sure they were thinking about how their life was about to change. They would all soon be living normal lives! But for some reason one of the healed men turns back, while the others march on to the priests.

 

There is something to note here. The Jews were taught that God was primarily a Redeemer and a Savior. These lepers came to Jesus for the hope of redemption. Could Jesus also be the Savior? Could Jesus be God?

 

Now, so often, we want to jump to the obvious with today’s Gospel lesson, which is to be thankful. And that is why this text is always the Gospel text for Thanksgiving. But let us not oversimplify this message. You see, today’s Gospel lesson is not just about the lepers being thankful or not.

 

Remember, Jesus told the lepers to follow God’s commandment to verify their healing. And as they went, all ten were cleansed. All ten were healed. But only nine of them continued on their way.

 

So, were the nine thankful? Clearly, they were! They were glad as they could be that they were healed. They could soon live normal lives again! Unfortunately, they didn’t fully recognize who it was to be thanked.

 

The unlikely Samaritan grasped who needed to be thanked. Of course, going to the priests was proper, but Jesus was the true source of his healing and every good gift. Jesus said to this healed man: “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19). It was his faith in Jesus that had made him well. It was his faith in Jesus, given to him and to us by the Holy Spirit, that made us well.

 

On this eve of the National Day of Thanksgiving, we have so much to be thankful for. These healed men were desperate for healing. They could do nothing to save themselves.

 

In our desperation for salvation, Jesus saved us too. We were once lost and condemned because of our sins, but Jesus purchased and won us from all sins, from eternal death, and from the power of the devil. Jesus saved us not by paying for our reconciliation through silver or gold, but instead through His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, so that we may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom.

 

On this Thanksgiving and every Lord’s Day, by faith, Jesus richly forgives our sins. 

 

We have so much to be thankful for. Thanks be to God that He is merciful, patient and loving toward us. Thanks be to God that Jesus willingly went to that cursed tree to die and rise for us, so that sin, death, and Satan would have no power over us. Thanks be to God that He continues to prepare our hearts and minds through Word and Sacrament ministry.

 

We have so many reasons to give our thanks to Christ, our Lord. Chief among them is His forgiveness that He won for you through His atoning death upon the cross. So, may we always give God thanks by coming into His presence each Lord’s Day as He continually serves us, His Church, with forgiveness, life, and salvation through His Word and Sacrament! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Delivered, Transferred and Redeemed" (Colossians 1:14-20)

Listen on Spotify and Apple

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

 

Last Sunday during the children’s message, we were reminded that it is getting darker these days. There is less light these days. And until December 21, the light grows more dim each day. Darkness is powerful. Darkness has an undeniable authority. Darkness forces you to do certain things and darkness prevents you from doing other things.

 

In today’s age, we can live out our lives without ever actually experiencing total, complete darkness. We can do this through artificial light, through things such as light bulbs and flashlights. So, it is easy for us to lose sight of darkness’ authority. But darkness does have real power. Darkness forces us to drive slower at night. Darkness causes us to put on the brights in hopes that a deer will still not jump out in your way. 

 

In complete darkness, you will get lost and never know where to go. Darkness certainly forces us to be cautious and sometimes that darkness causes fear, because darkness can hurt you.

 

Darkness can actually kill, because all living things need light to stay alive. In parts of the world where darkness lingers, people have to take steps to fight off depression and other maladies. In total darkness, people can become insane and become sick and die. And all because of darkness. That is authority. That is power.

 

Spiritual darkness has power too. This “domain of darkness” is a place where darkness has its way. This “domain of darkness” is dark because people cannot see their way to the truth; they cannot perceive what they should perceive about the Lord and about themselves. They grope, they stumble, they are the “blind leading the blind” to destruction because they do not have better advice or example to offer than their own impaired stumbling. Sin is dark because we live in it thoughtlessly, carelessly, recklessly, stumbling and tumbling to our own and others’ destruction.

 

This “domain of darkness” is also dark because it is precisely where Satan holds sway. He relies on darkness, both the darkness of night, when sin crouches at our door so close to us, and the darkness of the heart, where we do not even understand the things we say and do as wrong. Satan likes darkness because it affords him room to work. He can work when you don’t confess your sin. He can work when you spend your time and energy hiding your sin. He can work when you have no one else with you and you assume that no one else sees or cares what you are doing. Darkness is a favorite place for Satan. Darkness is where Satan works his hardest on you and me. 

 

In today’s epistle reading, many of the Colossians were choosing to live in spiritual darkness and because of this darkness, the Colossian church was in serious jeopardy. It was so bad that Epaphras made a 1,300-mile trip to Rome to visit St. Paul while he was in prison. 

 

So, what was the issue? Well, the city of Colossae included a mixture of both Greeks and Jews and among them were elements of Gnosticism. This Gnostic heresy taught that Jesus alone was not adequate for salvation. They taught of a secret knowledge that threatened the salvation of these Colossians. This heresy centered on the Person of Christ as they denied Christ’s humanity as they viewed Jesus as a mere spirit being who came from God. They taught a form of philosophical dualism where the spirit is good, and matter was evil. So, they said that Christ could never be man, because flesh was evil.

 

But by far, the most serious aspect of this Colossian heresy was its rejection of Christ’s deity. This is why St. Paul wrote this letter to the Colossian church. He wrote this letter because their salvation was at stake.

 

The Bible is supremely a book about the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament records the preparation for His coming. The Gospels present Him as God in human flesh, come into the world to save sinners. The Epistles detail the theology of Christ’s work and personification of Christ in His Body, the Church. And Revelation presents Christ on the throne, reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords.

 

Every part of Scripture testifies about Jesus Christ. In Luke 24, “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to [the Emmaus disciples] in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). In John 5, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). And Philip, too, preached Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch by using only the book of Isaiah (Acts 8:35).

But of all the Bible’s teachings about Jesus Christ, our text today may be the most significant. Today’s text is dramatic and powerful and removes any doubt or confusion over who Jesus truly is.

 

So, who is Jesus? “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation” (Colossians 1:15). Jesus is the absolute image of God. Now, He did not become the image of God at the incarnation, but He has been the image of God from all eternity. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature. He is the exact likeness of God. He is in His very form God. This is why Jesus could say: “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). In Christ, the invisible God became visible, “and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

 

Jesus is the full and final and complete revelation of God. He is God taken upon Himself human flesh. 

 

Not only is Jesus the image of the invisible God for “by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is the Creator. He is not a creation of God. Jesus created all things. “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing that was made”(John 1:3).

 

The entire universe exists and continues to operate only through the power and will of Jesus Christ. For, if He would for a moment cease to sustain creation, then the stars, the planets, and atoms would all spin out of control until they would disappear into oblivion. It’s Jesus who holds all things together. Jesus is God.

 

This, “in Him all things hold together” also teaches us something else. You see, on Judgment Day, everyone must pass through Him. So, those who in life knew Him in name only, or only knew Him as an inconvenience, or those who did not know Him at all, will now face Him entirely unprepared, dressed in the dirtiness of their sins and will hear Him say: “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you”(Matthew 25:12).

 

Jesus does not know those who live in darkness. For everyone who does not live by faith in Christ is among Satan’s fallen world. Without faith in Christ, the sinner stands before God guilty and condemned; the sinner stands before God as a debtor, an enemy, a stranger.

 

But we, who have been delivered from the domain of darkness by faith in Jesus will see Jesus standing before us as a familiar friend and brother. In Him, “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

 

Despite our sins, Jesus has reconciled us back to Himself. He undertook the Great Exchange. He willingly suffered all things for you. He willingly faced mockery for you. He willingly died for you. In Christ, the sinner now stands before God as righteous. In Christ, the sinner is granted freedom. In Christ, the sinner’s debt is paid. In Christ, the sinner stands before God as friend. In Christ, the sinner stands before God as His son or daughter.

 

In Christ alone, we are at peace with God. In Christ alone, we are reconciled to God. In Christ alone, we are restored to a right relationship between God and man.

 

We are at peace with God because Jesus shed His blood on the cross and by rising again the third day from the dead to make sure that you are His.

 

In Christ, we have been delivered from the domain of darkness and have been transferred to His kingdom!

 

You were created by Christ and He has redeemed you to be His forever. Christ is the Head of the body, the Church. And since you are in Christ, you are no longer captive to sin, you are no longer of the domain of darkness. You are redeemed. You are delivered. You are forgiven. You are set free. You are cleansed. You are healed. This was accomplished because of the power of His shed blood. His blood brings peace. His shed blood brings peace between you and God. His blood cancels your sin, your idolatry, your rebellion you once owed Him.

 

Jesus has won for you peace by His blood and by His cross and by His resurrected life. Christ is all in all. By faith, Christ, your Creator and Redeemer has delivered you out of the domain of darkness by giving you redemption, the forgiveness of your sin. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Do Not Grow Weary in Doing Good" (2 Thessalonians 3:6-13)

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus to do their work quietly and to earn their own living” (2 Thessalonians 3:12).

 

What is your view on work? Is work a pleasing thing or is work something that you’d rather not do? What is your opinion on work?

 

The people from the day of St. Paul to today often have a wrong view of work. For most people, they view work like this: “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.”

 

For most people, work is just seen as a necessary evil. Work is just a way to pay off debts or to fund your lifestyle. For most people, they would rather extoll the virtue of laziness. Or they would rather do anything else but work, such as fishing, hunting, golfing, sailing, traveling. You can think of all those signs that say, “I would rather be – just fill in the blank.” So, often, we would rather be doing anything else but work.

 

With this attitude, it is easy to see why so many people dislike their job. They see work as valueless – except for the paycheck. That they like. But with this attitude, instead of trying to be the best at your job, so often people just want to do only enough to avoid being fired, or to be constantly looking for a better and more lucrative opportunity. In general, so many of us just show utter indifference to the quality of your work. The one thing that makes the difference is getting that paycheck, so, again, “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go.”

 

Who really wants to work? Work is hard work! But this attitude is nothing new, for there is nothing new under the sun.

 

You see, throughout history, cultures have denigrated the value of work. Jews thought work was inferior to studying God’s Law. Greeks and Romans viewed manual labor as beneath their dignity. They viewed work as only fit for slaves or the lower class.

 

Even in the early to medieval Church, Christians had a negative view on work. They saw the first-class Christians serving God alone through church-work vocations, such as pastor, monk or nun. They saw second-class Christians as those who would engage in secular employment. 

 

This was the prevalent view until Martin Luther promoted the doctrine of vocation, which taught the Biblical truth that all Christians are equal in Christ. Luther promoted the idea that all honest work is a way to serve God and your neighbor. So, a shoemaker serves God by making durable and well-crafted shoes, and a baker by baking good bread, and a pastor by preaching and administering the Sacraments rightly. All are God-given vocations. Each vocation is a mask of God. For example, behind the baker is a gracious God faithfully providing for His creatures.

 

Through this doctrine of vocation, there is no such thing as just a “secular job” for a Christian, since all work is our spiritual duty as is done to give glory to God.

 

In the Garden, God gave us all the vocation of work. And originally, work was not a chore. Work used to be easy and enjoyable. Work was not a result of the Fall, since God commanded Adam to work in the Garden before the Fall (Genesis 2:15). The Fall did not initiate work, but the Fall certainly cursed it (Genesis 3:17-19).

 

So, because Adam did not listen to God and rather to Eve, work today is no longer easy and enjoyable, but laborious and painful.

 

Work was meant to be a gift from God. Work was meant to provide development of skill and productivity. Work was meant to provide contribution, value, meaning and fulfillment. Work was meant to prevent idleness. Afterall, as the saying goes, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” God’s gift of work served as a means of demonstrating the image of God in man, who by work provides for the needs of all in their care. God’s gift of work was meant to serve one’s neighbor.

 

So, what was the situation in our Epistle reading today? Well, the situation in Thessalonica was that some people, believing the resurrection had already occurred, were living as if nothing mattered, and among other things, had stopped working. They did nothing all day, but blabber and chat and upset their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ by yapping and running their mouth. They had no filter. They offered their opinion on every subject, and especially proclaiming false doctrine – in this case, that the resurrection had already happened, strange as that falsehood may seem. 

They were “not busy at work, but busybodies” (2 Thess. 3:11).

So, what was causing this strife? Certainly, there was disagreement about the coming of Christ, or if He had already come. But there was also an underlying cultural issue. You see, the Thessalonians may have been influenced by the prevailing Greek, Roman, and Jewish understandings of work, and felt that work was beneath their dignity. Or, it could have just been plain laziness. In this letter, St. Paul does not mention their motives for failing to work, because none of them are valid, since there is no excuse for someone who is physically able to work and thus chooses not to work.

 

The Holy Spirit inspires St. Paul to be quite clear: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat”(2 Thess. 3:10). This may seem harsh, but freeloading does not come without consequences. Talking and not working is not a victimless crime. Nothing is free. Everything has a cost. And St. Paul’s point is simple: If people get hungry enough, they will work for food. Solomon was inspired to put it this way in Proverbs 16: “A laborer’s appetite labors for him, because the hunger of his mouth drives him on” (Proverbs 16:26). 

 

So, Christians who have the opportunity and the ability to work are to work so they can eat. And for those who have the ability to work and refuse to work, God’s Word says in 1 Timothy 5: “If anyone does not provide for his own family, and especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

 

The core issue of Paul here is on those not willing to work. He is not going after those physically unable to work. There is a difference. The difference is on responsibility. Able-bodied people are to work and care for their families and their neighbors in need who are physically unable to work. Paul, here, is saying don’t be too lazy to work. 

 

In modern America, we are so used to entitlements. This is the idea that those who will not work are entitled to be paid money from those who do work. And the results of this welfare culture are evident for all to see. Some use this system as a safety net; others abuse this system to their advantage. Certainly, financial needs must be met when you or I hit hard times. At those hard times, welfare is certainly a blessing, but as God’s Word says, if you are physically able to work, you must work. Again, idle hands are never good, since God created us to work, so that we would benefit our family and our neighbor.

 

For these Thessalonians, this idleness was not just a matter of mooching on their neighbor’s bread or sticking their noses into others’ business, this idleness exemplified living “not in accord with the tradition [that is, the teachings of the faith] that you received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6). 

 

You see, not only had they become lazy at work, but they had also become complacent spiritually. They were not imitating the teachings of their divine Master Jesus Christ. They were altering teachings they were not to alter. They were teaching laziness as a good thing across temporal and spiritual realms. They were weighed down with the cares of life. They were not awake spiritually. 

 

Like the Thessalonians then, if you had a choice to work or not to work, what would you choose? Knowing my sinful nature, I’d choose not to work. But laziness is a serious sin against God who created us with talents and abilities to work. It is also a sin against the Body of Christ, against our brothers and sisters in Christ, to whom we are connected as co-workers.

 

Even though St. Paul calls us to keep away from those who walk in idleness, his Lord and our Lord Jesus Christ did not. Jesus came into this fallen world filled with lazy, sinful people. Now, Jesus never encouraged idleness, but He did call the sinner to realize the seriousness of his sin, so he would repent and be saved through His blood and merit, rather than continuing on his sinful path to his soul’s destruction.

 

Jesus came into this fallen world to save us. He lived the life we were all called to live. He did the work. He completed our work. He suffered and died the penalty that we all deserve because of our sin: death. He died, so that He would be raised again, so that by faith in Him, we also receive the fruits of His cross and bodily resurrection: forgiveness of sins, life everlasting, and salvation. Jesus did the work. He didn’t ignore us. He died for us. He rose for us. He ascended for us. 

 

So, for everyone who is in Christ, everyone who has received His grace and mercy, let us not grow weary of doing good. Let us who are able to use our talents and responsibilities use them for the good of your neighbor. May the Lord help us to follow His example through our daily vocations. With the Holy Spirit’s help, let us never grow weary in doing good. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"More to Come!" (Luke 20:27-40)

Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts:

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“There came to [Jesus] some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, and they asked Him a question …” (Luke 20:27-28a).

 

Just as the Sadducees asked Jesus a question, I would like to ask you all a question: What is the leading cause of death? Ponder that one a moment. Is it heart disease? Could it be a stroke? What about cancer or diabetes? What is the leading cause of death? It’s actually conception. The leading cause of death is being conceived. You see, as soon as God formed you and began knitting you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), you are on the way to death. Is this the point in life? Is this it?!

 

For the Sadducees who came to Jesus to ask Him this question about the resurrection, they believed that was it. They believed the thought of any bodily resurrection was utterly ridiculous. They could not fathom the idea that people would rise out of their graves and their bodies would live again. 

 

One play on words that I have heard and taught about these Sadducees is that they were sad, you see, because they didn’t have anything more to look forward to than what happened before death. For the Sadducees, when death came, they had no joy and they had no hope, since that’s all she wrote. Again, they were sad, you see.

 

So, these Sadducees ask Jesus an elaborate question as to prove to Jesus that the resurrection was preposterous: 

“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. And the second and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. Afterward the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife”(Luke 20:28b-33).

 

My first thoughts when preparing this sermon was: what a mess! This sounds more like a daytime talk show. Instead of asking, “Are you the father?” It’s like Maury asking, “Who is the true husband?” This is a perfect script for a daytime talk show. And all too often, those daytime talk shows aren’t exactly truthful. This is also the case here.

 

But I will say this, there is some truth to this question of the Sadducees. You see, they are bringing up what is known as the levirate marriage law from Deuteronomy 25, which states: “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband’s brother shall go into her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel”(Deuteronomy 25:5-6).

 

Now, clearly, these Sadducees realize how outlandish their question is, even with the levirate marriage law. They are asking this question only as a gotcha question. And this question is not about marriage. It is centered on the resurrection. They are trying to show how ludicrous the resurrection is if such a scenario could result in the life to come. So, “at the resurrection,” they ask, “whose wife will she be?”

 

They think they have trapped Jesus between a rock and a hard place. 

 

But then Jesus says to them essentially, “Your question isn’t going to matter, since there will be no more need for marriage at the resurrection.”

 

You see, Jesus solves this question by distinguishing between two ages: the present age and the age to come. 

 

The key purposes for marriage in the present age are for procreation, the raising up of children in the fear and knowledge of God, and, of course, companionship. None of these will be needed in the resurrection because we will not die, and we will be in perfect communion with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

In the age to come, there will be neither birth nor death. And there will be no marriage. We will simply be sons and daughters of God, sons and daughters of the resurrection.

 

But Jesus is never content in just answering questions. He digs deeper to the root cause of their question: unbelief. Jesus digs deeper as He brings up Moses at the burning bush – today’s Old Testament lesson. He recalls that day when He spoke to Moses as He told him to take off his sandals for where Moses stood was holy ground. He said to Moses: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). To the Sadducees, Jesus adds: “Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him” (Luke 20:38).

 

Keep in mind, as God spoke those words to Moses, these three patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – had been long dead. But how does God speak of them? Jesus speaks of His relationship to them as being present. This means that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still living! 

 

So, what the triune God is proving to Moses and the Sadducees is that human relationships certainly end with death, but the relationship a person has with God lives on forever. Or to put it another way: The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God endures forever (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:23-24).

 

What Jesus is saying is that there is still more, much more, than what we may realize. We weren’t created by God just to die. We were created by God to live.

 

The Sadducees rejected the resurrection, which is maybe why there were two Sadducees – Annas and Caiaphas – who ended up orchestrating Jesus’ arrest and ultimate execution. They thought by simply eliminating Jesus would fix the “Jesus problem.”

 

Now, you may not be denying the bodily resurrection, but the spirit of those Sadducees of yesteryear still lives on among us. Have you ever thought that this life is all that there is? Sometimes, those doubts are there. The grave looks so final. How could I bodily resurrect through a casket, a vault, and all while being six feet underground? Could this life be it? Am I just to ultimately become worm food? That is the Sadducee spirit swirling around in our hearts and minds.

 

And if you’ve thought that, you are in good company. Remember what Christ’s apostles were doing that first Easter? They were hiding behind locked doors out of fear of the Jewish authorities. They were like the Sadducees then. They were denying all those times Jesus taught them that He would rise again the third day. 

 

Then suddenly, Jesus appeared to them, and He calms their fears. He said, “Peace be with you”(John 20:19) and then showed them His hands and His side. He let them touch Him. The apostles went from there was no more, to there is so much more!

 

Like the apostles, we need to believe our God is the God of the living and not of the dead. The resurrection is all about Jesus turning our losses into victories, our death into life, our sorrow into joy, our weaknesses into strength, our futility into glory.

 

That day, the living God was standing before those Sadducees. Soon they will kill Him. But even though from eternity, the Second Person of the Trinity had no physical body, this God would not even now shed His physical body, but He would take it up again. Christ’s death would restore the day when we “cannot die anymore, … being sons [and daughters] of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36).

 

Today, the living God is here, although to the naked eye, He is hidden in His Word and Sacraments. Jesus says to us this day that there is more to come, a lot more to come! Today, He comes to give us the medicine that forgives our sins, known as the Medicine of Immortality. He says to us, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:53-56).

 

In Christ, there is life – eternal life, after death!

 

So, repent and believe and receive the fruits of His cross and of His resurrection: forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation for there is so much more to come – yours and my resurrection! For if you are in Christ, you will live forever! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +